IBWA Releases Video to Counter Anti-Bottled Water Activism

The International Bottled Water Assn.'s (IBWA) consumer website, www.bottledwatermatters.org, has launched a new YouTube video to help counter anti-bottled water activism on college campuses.

The new video, Student Activism: 101, puts the concept of banning bottled water alongside other student activism campaigns and introduces information about the health, safety and environmental impacts of bottled water that students should be aware of, said Chris Hogan, IBWA vice president of communications.

“What we are seeing is well-known anti-bottled water groups are recruiting college students to spread misinformation about bottled water on college campuses. Those groups are capturing the attention of college students by making highly emotional and incorrect statements and claims—such as the threat of losing water as a basic human right and the privatization of water,” Hogan said. “But if these students checked some of this information out for themselves, they would see that this anti-bottled water rhetoric is simply not true.”

The video points out that bottled water is similar to other packaged drinks except it has no sugar, caffeine or calories. Bottled water also has the lowest carbon footprint, the lowest water footprint and the highest curbside recycling rates of packaged drinks.

In terms of safety, the video points out that bottled water is stringently regulated by the Food and Drug Administration to a safety standard higher than tap water. “A ban on the sale of bottled water on college campuses restricts freedom of choice for students to choose one of the healthiest beverages available in vending machines,” Hogan said.